Air Date: September 5th at 12:01am – October 3rd at 11:59pm EST on Smithsonian Channel
How do you grasp an event as enormous as September 11? At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, you start small: A briefcase, a Blackberry, a victim’s sweatshirt, and a hero’s nametag. Simple objects that tell personal stories, recounted in the donors’ own words. Stories from New York , the Pentagon and Shanksville , PA remind us that the legacy of 9/11 is not fear — it’s friendship, courage, and ordinary people pushed by extraordinary circumstances. Their stories deserve to be remembered across decades and generations. By telling them, we triumph over tragedy.
“I don’t even want to tell you what I saw down there. I don’t even want to remember what I saw down there.” – Ironworker, James A. Connor
Capt. David M. Thomas, Jr. Uniform
Get your box of tissues ready and keep them by your side. Nine minutes in, I began crying and didn’t stop. Fair warning: this is about an hour-long program.
Museums are full of items throughout history. Those items have stories, some of which are known, others which aren’t. Those stories are ones that need to be told, need to be remembered. But when those stories bring about memories which are almost too hard to think about, what do you do? Ignore them, dismiss them, and tuck them away? The National Museum of American History says “No.” We should view those objects, we should remember their significance, and we should never forget the lives attached to them.
Those items are preserved and kept by the Smithsonian to ensure no one forgets what happened. Especially on one fateful day, ten years ago: September 11, 2001. Objects hold memories. It is why many of us keep things we consider priceless or we can’t part with—that sentimental value means more than we can say. The stories connected to the objects from September 11th are what “Stories in Fragments” focuses on. The individual stories of the survivors, the witnesses, the heroes of that day. What they remember, what they saw, what they experienced is brought back with a sudden rush, just by looking at or thinking about one of those rare items: a name tag, a briefcase, a Blackberry.
FDNY Door Panel from 9/11
I remember where I was when I first heard about the attacks. Everyone in my office was in a state of confusion because we didn’t know exactly what was going on. We’d only heard that someone flew a plane into a building but didn’t know how serious it was. We had no idea the two propeller plane was actually a jet, or that it was intentionally flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. Everything seemed to pause once we were able to see what was going on in New York via the newscasts. It was devastating and heart-wrenching seeing the destruction that occurred in a matter of minutes. I can’t begin to imagine how it was for the people who were there, but these stories bring the events of that day to life in a crisp, clean way so contrary to the day itself. The feelings and thoughts of 9/11 are clearly portrayed through the visualization of how those objects came to be pieces of history.
As the camera centers on an object, the name of the person/organization who donated it flashes on the screen, and the story which connects it to the events of the day play out through the words and pictures of the survivors, rescue workers, and photographers. It’s very poignant to see these items still covered in the ash from the towers and the Pentagon. Having an item that was so close to the destruction right in front of you makes the tale real as you can almost feel yourself being transported to that fateful day. To see it, touch it, to know that it isn’t something easily forgotten. Even plane fragments from flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania are reminders of the many lives lost to save countless others.
Piece of the Pentagon facade
The details of the day, the people whose lives were touched, and the hope that none of these things will be forgotten is what can be taken away after viewing “Stories in Fragments.” We will never forget the heroes and selflessness of the day. Though it was a massively destructive event, it is part of our history and should not be forgotten.
For more information on the show, visit http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/stories.
Watch the full episode here. Courtesy of Smithsonian Channel.
Watch the episode starting September 5th – October 3rd (ends at 11:59pm EST on 10/3)
All photos courtesy of © 2010-2011 SNI/SI Networks L.L.C. All rights reserved.
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